The Other Shoe
by Iris Kane
Summary: Grissom's POV of the events of episodes 8x02 and 8x03 (and what happened in between) as he navigates his exposed relationship with Sara.
1. Chapter 1

**"The Other Shoe"**

I knew what the outcome would be the minute I heard Catherine's transmission over the radio. I had been to enough crime scenes in my career to know when we had a DB, a person alive that had evaded death altogether or someone in between. Frankly, I hoped Sara would be the third option, although my racing mind told me I thought it was the first.

I had never been so scared in my life and I normally wouldn't be the first person to admit that. Usually I detached myself from my work easily, but in this case… It was more, Sara was more than just another victim.

Nick and I are just a few miles from where Catherine and Warrick are and we get there soon enough, the crowd by the rock in the scrub is a dead giveaway. By now we have been searching for hours the temperature is over 100" and still climbing which made our clothes; buttoned shirts and bulletproof vests issued by the department practically unbearable.

I am out of the car before Nick even has a chance to pull to a stop, I am running to where Catherine is and I note she's already radioed for the paramedics, who are but a transmission away.

The EMTs are there within minutes and as they work I get my first look at Sara.

She is pale and unconscious, obviously overcome by the heat hours before. Her brown hair is wrapped in a makeshift turban of sorts, perhaps to conceal injuries she sustained while under the car, where the Miniature Killer a.k.a. Natalie Davis, dumped her body almost 24 hours before. Her arm, although in a makeshift sling, seems to be at an odd angle and without even asking I know it is broken. I'm sure I will find out how it came to be so later.

Catherine is about to climb in to the medical transport when I stop her.

"I'll go." I hear myself say. There is no point in trying to hide that Sara means more to me than just another colleague, the other shoe has dropped and I'm sure the news will reach Ecklie soon enough. As the transport takes off I reach for her hand, a mantra of "wake up Sara, wake up Sara, wake up Sara" running through my head.

I watched idly as the paramedics begin to start an IV and run fluids; I know the rest of her injuries will be attended to once we reach Desert Palm, but for now she needs to stabilize, I know without asking she's in bad shape.

Finally after what seems like an eternity, her eyes flutter open. She doesn't speak, but she sees me there and knowing that is enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When she was brought into Desert Palm Sara had two problems: first, she was excessively dehydrated from her prolonged exposure in the desert in extreme temperatures, and second, she had a complex fracture in her left arm, which had been broken in two places.

I, of course, only found this out after the fact, it was one of the few things I wished I hadn't known.

When I was finally able to see Sara she was resting comfortably in a private hospital room with a large Spica cast going from the middle of her fingers to past her elbow. I already knew that she would be on desk duty for at least the next two months; I couldn't in good conscious let her out in the field in her current condition.

"How are you holding up?" I asked upon entering her room.

Sara made a movement that I supposed was suppose to pass for a shrug.

She chuckled weakly and gave me a wry smile.

"Could be better, I guess."

"We have her, Natalie Davis, The Miniature Killer." I said.

Sara nodded.

"I know, Gil, I-I-saw her… I talked to her… Thought I could get away…" She paused. "I didn't even know she worked in the lab."

I shook my head raising an eyebrow.

"Neither did I, until yesterday." I replied.

We lapsed into silence once more and I sensed Sara was trying to collect her thoughts, as if she had more to say, but was working up the courage to tell me.

"How did you break your arm, the doctor never said." I asked gently.

Sara made a face and frowned, as if the response was difficult for her to think or speak of.

"Escaping." She said shortly, "It was the only way I could escape."

I nodded, remembering the doll in the miniature with the arm stuck out from under the car, the thought of what she had gone through made me vaguely ill.

"The doctors are saying 10 weeks before I can return to work." Sara said, changing the subject, "but I can still make myself useful, processing evidence."

I nodded again before looking up to glance at the clock.

"I better get back to the lab," I said, not sure if I was making an excuse or not, "Ecklie will be wondering where I disappeared off to."

Just as I spoke my cell phone rang. I briefly glanced at the caller ID. Seeing my face Sara smiled wryly.

"Speak of the devil…" She murmured and we both chuckled and shared a smile as I made my exit. Before I left I briefly kissed her forehead, promising I would be back in the morning after breakfast. Then of course there was Ecklie to appease, but I figured he would would probably wait until Sara was back at work.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I had been avoiding Ecklie's calls most of the morning. At the moment I wasn't quite ready to deal with him, even though he was my boss. I knew very well what he wanted to "discuss" and aside from having a very full caseload at the moment I didn't know exactly how or what to tell him what he wanted to know.

I had just gotten to a crime scene when my phone rang again, and I knew without looking, as I pushed the "ignore call" button it was Ecklie.

"What is it?" Catherine asks as I tuck my phone into my pocket again.

"Nothing." I reply evasively. "Nothing."

Then I turned my attention (thankfully) to my job.

Unfortunately, I cannot avoid Ecklie forever, and shortly before lunch between paperwork I find him sitting in my office. After exchanging the normal pleasantries he gets down to business laying out my transgressions as I have expected.

"So how long have you and Miss Sidel been in a…ah… Relationship?" He asks delicately, or perhaps more accurately with the delicacy of a sledgehammer. Subtlety is not Conrad's strong suit.

"9 years." I reply firmly. I keep my answers brief and to the point, the less I say the better. I figure things can't get any worse than they already are.

I don't see Sara again until after shift, we've been seeing less of each other as of late since she has returned to work mostly because we had been outed and have been busy, which has left little time for pleasantries.

"How long did you tell Ecklie we've been together?" I questioned.

"2 years." Sara replies as if it was obvious.

I frowned momentarily.

"I told him 9…"

To my surprise Sara laughs.

"9 years? Really?"

"What?" I asked, eager to know what her objection to my statement is.

"You're counting that time…?" She laughs again.

"So where do we go from here?" I ask, although the professional in me knows the obvious answer.

"I'm transferring to swing shift." Sara replies in that same flat tone, she looks sad.

We're silent for a long time and it seems like an eternity before Sara speaks again.

"They're waiting for us." She says quietly and I ducked to get out of the car. Today, the day after solving our most recent case we are meeting at the go-cart arena where it all began. Today, we are just letting off some steam, being friends instead of just coworkers and it is one of the few opportunities I have to see Sara where I won't have someone constantly looking over my shoulder.

For a long time Sara and I just to watch the goings on as Catherine, Nick, Warrick, and Greg zoom around the indoor track on the small, fast cars. They have tried to get me to join them, but for the moment I would prefer to stay with Sara, although she has returned to work it will be a while before she can be cleared for active duty and there's not much she can do with a large cast on her arm.

"Come on!" Nick calls to me.

Beside me Sara is laughing.

"Go on!" She urges, still laughing and finally I relented and opened the gate stepping onto the track grabbing a helmet and an unoccupied car. Starting the car I take off after Nick. As I zoom around the track I can still hear Sara's laughter. From where she is watching next to the entrance to the track I can see her smile.


End file.
